IFTTT and Zapier both automate the boring parts of your day, but they charge for opposite things and serve opposite users. IFTTT is free for 2 Applets with unlimited runs; Pro is $2.99/mo billed annually ($4.99 monthly) for 20 Applets, and Pro+ is $8.99/mo billed annually ($14.99 monthly) for unlimited Applets with filter code and AI services. Zapier is free for 100 tasks a month; Professional is $19.99/mo billed annually ($29.99 monthly) for 750 tasks and up. Bottom line: IFTTT wins for personal and smart-home automation at a fraction of the price; Zapier wins for anything business-shaped — multi-step logic, data formatting, and team workflows.
The metering model is the whole story. IFTTT meters how many Applets you keep enabled, then lets them run forever — perfect when a trigger fires hundreds of times a month. Zapier meters every billable action, so a chatty workflow can burn through 750 tasks fast — but you get real logic in return: Paths branching, Formatter steps, filters, and per-Zap error tracking. Below is the full breakdown.
| IFTTT | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free ($0) | Free ($0) |
| Entry paid price | Pro $2.99/mo annual ($4.99 monthly) | Professional $19.99/mo annual ($29.99 monthly) |
| How you pay | Per Applet enabled: 2 / 20 / unlimited; runs unlimited on every plan | Per task: 100 / 750+ tasks per month; triggers and filters do not count |
| Logic & branching | None on Free/Pro; Pro+ adds filter code (basic conditional JavaScript) only | Paths branching, Formatter, filters, and multi-step Zaps on paid plans |
| App & device coverage | 1,000+ services, strongest in consumer apps and smart home (Hue, Ring, voice assistants) | 7,000+ apps, strongest in business SaaS (CRMs, databases, marketing tools) |
| Speed | Hourly polling on Free; about every 5 minutes on Pro/Pro+ | Near real-time on paid plans via webhooks and instant triggers |
| Team features | No team seats or shared workspace on any plan | Shared workspaces, roles, and admin controls from Team ($69/mo annual) up |
| Debugging | Applet activity logs only — thin when something partially fails | Per-Zap run history, error alerts, and Zapier Manager monitoring |
| Best for | Personal automation and smart-home routines | Business workflows, multi-step logic, and team automation |
The simplest automation tool on the market: connect 1,000+ apps and smart-home devices with if-this-then-that Applets — free for two Applets, with unlimited runs.
Free (2 Applets, 1 trigger + 1 action each, unlimited runs); Pro $4.99
Try IFTTT →The automation platform everyone knows: connect 7,000+ apps with no code.
Free (100 tasks/mo); Professional from $29.99/mo billed monthly ($19.9
Try Zapier →Pick IFTTT when your automation is personal: lights, notifications, social cross-posting, and simple app-to-app links — Pro at $2.99/mo annual is roughly a sixth of Zapier Professional, and unlimited runs mean a chatty trigger never costs extra. Pick Zapier when a workflow has conditions, formatting, or more than two steps, or when a failure costs money: Paths, Formatter, and per-Zap error tracking are worth the premium. Many people end up with both — IFTTT for the house, Zapier for the business.
Yes — IFTTT Pro at $2.99/mo billed annually is about a sixth of Zapier Professional at $19.99/mo annual. The catch is scope: IFTTT meters Applets, not runs, so it is cheap only while your automations stay simple.
IFTTT, by a wide margin. Its 1,000+ services skew heavily toward consumer devices — Hue, Ring, voice assistants — where Zapier's 7,000+ apps skew toward business SaaS.
Yes, and many people do: IFTTT for personal and smart-home routines, Zapier for business workflows. They do not conflict, and IFTTT's free plan costs nothing to keep alongside a Zapier subscription.